Monday, January 17, 2011

There are money in goats and it is true, if you have the necessary guts and equipments needed for starting a goat raising business in the Philippines then you can consider it as a good business opportunities in the Philippines. Let's talk about the information you must need to know first about goat raising business.

First thing you need to know is the different kinds of goat breeds you can raise in the Philippines, well choosing the right breed is crucial and in order to reach the maximum potential earnings you must make the right choice. Below are the goat breeds you can raise in the Philippines.

Recommended Goat Breeds

Anglo-Nubian - Basically they are tropical breed that was successfully adopted in Western countries. It has long body which usually weighs around 70-90 kilograms when they reach maturity and they can also produce 1-2 liters of milk a day, if you feed it with right forage they can produce more. If you want to earn from sale of meat and milk I recommend Anglo-Nubian because they can produce ample supply of meat and milk.

Boer - If you are going for a meat type breed then you must have heard of Boer type goats, they have distinct white color and usually reddish brown to black from rear and legs to head. They weighs an average of 90 kilograms when they reach maturity. If you want to start a goat business focusing on meat then you must use Boer to upgrade your goats.

Saanen - Saanen originated from Switzerland, they are known in their pure white to off-white color. Saanen holds the highest milk produces averaging from 1.8 liters up to 2 liters daily. The average weight when they reach maturity is 70 kilograms. If you like to focus on milk producing goats then pure bred Saanen is recommended.

Native - The bred that is native in our country, it is stocky and can withstand the climate in our country. Their milk production is only enough for its kids and they usually weighs 20-30 kilograms when they reach maturity. Native goats are great for beginners.

It will be wise to study and create a plan when you choose the breed that you want to raise, after all the success of the business lies on proper planning and study of the market. If you are raising goats for milk, do you have a market in your area? If no then raise meat types instead because they have a good market, maybe you want to be a breeder, keep it mind that you must be reliable and trusted so you can have some loyal customers. Now let's go to the selection criteria, of course in buying your stocks you must choose the best and avoid the animal with disability.

Guide in Selecting Does

The does you will purchase must be from the same area or climate conditions of your farm.

Do not buy breeders from the market.

If you will purchase native or upgraded does, make sure they are not less than 25 kilos.

Check the udders for lumps, size and other abnormalities than can affect their offspring in the future.

The goats you will purchase must be alert and well formed pupils. They must have good appetite so they can grow faster and healthy.

Teats must be uniform in length for easier milking.

Guide in Selecting Bucks

If the buck has successfully mated once then its good.

The buck must be active and always ready to breed a doe in heat.

Pedigree records is a must, if they don't have it then consider buying somewhere else.

Now that you know some important tips in selecting breeder goats its now time to take a look at your wallet and examine your capital, also to help you with your computation here are the things you need to consider.

Production Inputs for Backyard Operations

Investment:

Goat house

Purchase of breeding stock

Operating Expenses:

Veterinary medicine

Vaccines

Concentrates/Feeds

Vitamins and Supplements

Production Inputs for Commercial Operations

Investments:

Goat house

Water pump

Pasture grass

Fences

Land

Purchase of does

Purchase of bucks

Operating Expenses:

Electricity

Water

Veterinary medicines

Feeds/Supplements

Labor

Maintenance of pasture field

Now that you have the idea what are the expenses and investments its now time to make your choice, are you going for backyard scale operation or medium to large scale operation? Well if you are still new to this kind of business I advice that you start small first, about five native does and one native buck, once you are ready upgrade your stock into Boer if you are going to meat type or Anglo-Nubian if you want a balanced build. When you upgraded your native stock the offspring will now be mixed breed and it will be much better compared to native breed.

To continue our discussions about goat raising business in the Philippines please proceed below.

Its now time for decisive moment, how can you sell your stocks, be it carcass, alive or their milk, the most important thing is you can sell them and make some profit. If you are selling your stocks make sure you put a sign, be it outside your house, beside the highway or in the market, put your cellphone number so the potential customer can contact you. It is a good idea to visit your local market and nearby town market and look for meat vendors who are selling chevon or goat meat, you can offer them your stocks and lower the price a bit so they will be encouraged to get some meat to you. If you already establish a good market then your business will run smoothly and I congratulate you because you just found a business opportunity and earn profit from it.

If you want to know more business opportunities in the Philippines, I recommend that you browse this blog and get some updated information that you can use in your plans and feasibility study. I will not only tackle about agriculture business in the Philippines like goat raising, duck raising, growing vegetables and other stuffs, I will also give you tips and advice on SME and other money making business opportunities.